encumber

verb

en·​cum·​ber in-ˈkəm-bər 

encumbered; encumbering in-ˈkəm-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: weigh down, burden

tourists encumbered by heavy luggage

2

: to impede or hamper the function or activity of : hinder

negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust

3

: to burden with a legal claim (such as a mortgage)

encumber an estate

Did you know?

Encumber Has French Roots

“I can’t help you with your troubles / If you won’t help with mine,” the workingman protagonist tells his companion Melinda in “Cumberland Blues” (a song by Grateful Dead), encumbered by indecision over whether or not to keep his dead-end job. Does he stay or does he go? To be encumbered is to be held back, weighed down, overburdened. One can be encumbered physically (as by a heavy load or severe weather) or figuratively (as by, well, the blues). Encumber traces back to the Middle French noun combre, which referred to a dam or weir constructed in the bed of a river to hold back fish or protect the banks. The notion of stoppage or blockage embedded in combre led to the verb encombre (“to obstruct, burden”) and further downstream to not only the English verb encumber, but adjectives cumbersome and cumbrous, both used to describe things that can slow one down. (Note, however, that the place name Cumberland—referring originally to a former county of northwestern England and used in many U.S. and Canadian locales—comes not from combre, but rather the Latin designation Cumbria, in turn was influenced by the Welsh Cymry.)

Synonyms

• clog
• cramp
• embarrass
• fetter
• hamper
• handcuff
• handicap
• hinder
• hobble
• hog-tie
• hold back
• hold up
• impede
• inhibit
• interfere (with)
• manacle
• obstruct
• shackle
• short-circuit
• stymie
• tie up
• trammel

Examples of encumber in a Sentence

These rules will only encumber the people we're trying to help.

Lack of funding has encumbered the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

One factor delaying a downtown renaissance is that some key properties are encumbered by securitized mortgages, which are taking time to unwind. —Marc Joffe, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024

But that didn’t stop Joe Barton, creator of Black Doves, the Netflix Christmas spy thriller now streaming, from encumbering star Keira Knightley as dedicated wife and professional spook Helen Webb with Ben Whishaw‘s Sam Young, a fellow spy and assassin, in all matters of love and relationships. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2024

Members of Netanyahu’s cabinet are pushing spiritedly to encumber Gaza’s reconstruction and rebuild Jewish settlements in the strip, while also petitioning for annexation of the West Bank. —Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024

Advertisement According to Mejia, the city spent or encumbered only about 30% of its $262 million in grants from the state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program and 58% of its $267-million budget for Bass’ Inside Safe encampment reduction program. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English encombren, from Anglo-French encumbrer, from en- + Middle French combre dam, weir

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

encumber

verb

en·​cum·​ber in-ˈkəm-bər 

encumbered; encumbering -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to place an excessive burden on

2

: to make problems for the work or activity of

Legal Definition

encumber

transitive verb

en·​cum·​ber

variants also incumber

in-ˈkəm-bər

encumbered; encumbering

: to burden with a claim (as a mortgage or lien)

encumbered the land with a mineral lease